things i made in april:
a little late to this roundup, but I've been feeling crafty (and making sure I get my money's worth out of canva pro)
I find that my creative energy ebbs and flows. Sometimes, the well is truly dried up and I’m not making anything, and other times, sitting down in front of a word doc is enough to get my brain firing on all cylinders. But the more time I spend making silly little things, the more I want to make silly little things and, relatedly, bigger, less silly things! This year, I’ve done a lot of making things and especially in April, I was feeling especially crafty.
Even if I’m making the stupidest thing, or trying a new medium that I suck at, I still think it rejuvenates my own well of creativity and keeps me fully stocked on ideas. So here’s what I made in April!
I finished the first draft of a new novel!!
I’m sure you’ll be shocked to hear that I did not start this project in April. I spent the tail end of 2023 percolating on an idea, then started drafting it and tinkering with it last summer before Smoochpit consumed my life. And in the excruciating time between finishing a final draft of Unattached, prepping for the Smoochpit showcase and querying, I started chugging away on this second book again. And in April, I finished it! A messy, way-too-short first draft, but it’s done! And now I can start chipping away at the story to create something readable.
To get a little sneak peek of what this book is about, read this:
A 1,000 piece puzzle for my best friend’s birthday
Not to pat myself on the back, but I’m kind of killing the birthday game lately, which is saying something because I’m usually a) a procrastinator and b) someone who has a million gift ideas until it comes time to actually put together a gift.
But not this year! New year, new me!
In January, I made my other best friend a magazine dedicated to herself (on brand). And for this best friend’s birthday, later in May, I designed a puzzle to look like a scrapbook page, filled with photos of family and friends and her dogs. And then I got it printed and sent directly to her (I would have preferred a stopover at my house so I could wrap it, but she lives in Alaska and it takes…awhile for things to get there).
Some silly, not-very-good mockups of a cover for my contemporary romance that is currently in the query trenches.
If I could illustrate, trust me, it would be over for you bitches1.
I am paying for Canva pro, because I do a lot of silly crafts and it’s just kind of fun to have. I’m really loving some of the new iterations of the (incredibly controversial) illustrated romance cover, and I love seeing how the genre is changing and shifting! A trend I’ve noticed lately is this theme of multi-panel covers, almost like a graphic novel page. It’s so fun and different to what we’re used to.
I tinkered with a newsletter for my birthday
Why? I don’t know, I just thought it might be fun and it turns out, though I didn’t finish it in time, it was fun. I managed to complete just a single page, but I found I had a lot of competition for what to include in my recap: giving a speech as my friend Ruth’s Person of Honor at her wedding; going to the Smoky Mountains; taking up golf; seeing the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile; finally going to the OBGYN for the first time…at 30.
Junk journaling!
I ended up with enough junk for 2 March spreads, and I’ve already done the April spread. I try not to overthink it and just find a decent way to shove everything on the page and most of the junk is truly actual junk. Wrappers and detritus I’ve picked up all month, including receipts and labels I’ve peeled off stuff. I’m already brainstorming my May spread(s), because birthdays famously come with lots little treats like cards and lovely notes from friends!
And by “over,” I mean I would give up on querying, hire an editor and self-publish because the cover is kind of a big deal to me.
such a fun round-up! i've been considering getting into junk journaling again, and i dig the monthly spread concept!